Honda’s frugal and slightly oddball CR-Z has won the 2011 Wheels Car of the Year award. It’s the world’s first hybrid to be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission. Even though it’s powered by a modest 91kW/174Nm 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine with Integrated Motor Assist the Wheels judges applaud the CR-Z’s ability to put a [...]

We got wind of a racing Prius late last year and the Prius GT300 is now on display, in full racing livery, at the Tokyo Auto Salon. At this stage there’s no official text or detail from Toyota that we can see, but the large hybrid text on the side of the car indicates the [...]

We don’t usually spend too much time covering Toyotas here at AUSmotive. But while going through the pics for our Detroit Motor Show gallery we thought, credit where credit is due, this Toyota NS4 concept actually looks half decent. So we figured we’d take a proper look at the car, which Toyota says uses a [...]

Volkswagen extends The Beetle model line by presenting the E-Bugster at the Detroit motor show. Featuring retro-cool speedster styling—the roofline is 90mm lower than a regular Bug—and seating for two, the E-Bugster has 85kW of zero-emission power on tap which can propel the car to 60mph in 10.9 seconds. The “central electric module” weighs 80kg [...]

A few days ago Subaru released a promo clip showing off their BRZ GT300. It will race in the highly competitive Japanese Super GT series. It would stand to reason, you would think, that Toyota would follow suit by producing an 86 GT300. Well, like us, you’d be wrong if you thought that. Here, then, [...]

Volkswagen brings a glimpse into its future with the Cross Coupé concept SUV. Powered by an innovative hybrid drivetrain Volkswagen say the styling you see here will influence future production models. The all-wheel drive Cross Coupé is built on the MQB platform and features a 110kW/210Nm petrol engine complemented by a 40kW/180Nm electric engine at [...]

“Audi intends to be the leading premium manufacturer of electric vehicles by 2020.” That’s the opening line from the video you can see after the break which showcases the Audi e-tron Spyder. Audi first showed us this stunning hybrid coupé at last year’s Paris Motor Show. To refresh your memory the e-tron Spyder can send [...]

Great news for 1980s pop culture fans with word that a revitalised DeLorean Motor Company is making a new electric powered DMC-12. The car made famous by the Back to the Future movie franchise will actually have a flux capacitor, of sorts. Well, maybe not, but looking through the rear window at the “engine bay” [...]

Audi has further previewed its all-electric A2 Concept with a release of new images overnight. The A2 is a car that will compete with the BMW i3 and although it is less radically styled, it still looks quite sharp. The dramatic line through the shoulder line appears to have LED lighting within that can change [...]

Volkswagen is asking us to meet NILS. Apparently he is the future of commuting (we’re assuming it’s a he). While Audi has given us lots of pretty pictures of their similar urban concept, Volkswagen is coughing up a few more details. Unlike the Audi which has a 1+1 layout, NILS is only a single seater. [...]

You’re looking at concept drawings of the next Audi A2. The first-generation, launched at the turn of the century, struggled to find a niche and production ceased in 2005. Audi will be hoping this revitalised version will do much better. Compared to the original A2 the styling now embraces a stronger resemblance to the broader [...]

Toyota’s radically styled TMG EV P001 has smashed the lap record for an electric vehicle at the Nürburgring. This is just the third genuine attempt at an EV record around the demanding Nordschleife, following MINI and Peugeot, but Toyota’s lap time of 7 minutes 47.794 seconds is going to take some beating! Jochen Krumbach was [...]

Audi has released two new images of its urban concept. This time, though, it’s in Spyder form. We think it looks fantastic. Aside from the pics there’s not much else to add. Audi has issued another press release, but it’s much the same as before, with the word ‘Spyder’ added in a few times.

You’re looking at the Chevrolet Miray concept. It’s quite spectacular in its own right, let alone for an American car. The Miray was first revealed at the Seoul Motor Show in March and is relies on carbon fibre body panels to help make its radical styling lightweight. Powered by a pair of electric motors and [...]

Here’s the official teaser video from Audi promoting their electric-powered urban concept. It’s a 1+1 seater designed to make city commuting a breeze. This clip was filmed in central Berlin and truth be told two clips from a random spotter featured in our previous post captured more than this clip gives us (see here). Audi [...]